Author Saturday Spotlight: K.Z. Snow *Interview and Giveaway*

When I first read K.Z. Snow my first reaction was: Whoa, she's a tackler. What's that mean? Well, there are Authors who write reality to the point you can relate well with characters, others who rip your heart out and desperately try to put you back together again in the end. K.Z. is in between (Yes, even with her paranormal books). She tackles real issues with flair. You take the pain because of the great reward there is.

 Yes, even with Abercrombie Zombie... Don't ask, just read it!

A lot of the books I read come from recommendations. About 75% of them actually. The other 25% is everything in between. I was really glad when a friend told me about Xylophone, I listened.

I'm going to show you some of her books, some blurbs and of course where you can peruse any I don't show you here today. I have a terrific interview with the talented author and a Reader's Choice Giveaway! YAY!!!

So, let's take a look at some of her work:

A tale of life, love, death, and other mysteries of the universe . . . including the importance of a good wardrobe.

Dead folks are the best friends of Quinn McConnell and Hunter Janz. Dead folks pay the bills for this team of psychic mediums . . . but just barely. To make it into the financial comfort zone, they need to outshine their competition.

Quinn needs even more than that. He’s been infatuated with his partner for the nearly three years they've been together, and if he can’t either get over his crush or make something happen with Hunter, they’ll have to split up. Sexual tension and unrequited love can wreak havoc with a psychic’s reception.

Salvation comes hobbling along in the form of a well-dressed but ravaged-looking man who can clearly see and converse with the dearly departed. Why? Because, he claims, he has something in common with them: He’s also been dead. The zombie who calls himself Dustin DeWind needs the psychics’ help in finding the man who made him what he is. In return, he promises to steer them toward the often elusive spirits that are their stock in trade.

But something more goes on when Quinn and Hunter forge an uneasy alliance with Dustin DeWind. It seems he’s also nudging them toward each other . . .

Daren Boothe's most significant secret centers on an unlikely object: a xylophone. That secret led him to develop his professional alter-ego, a sensual, androgynous dancer. When Dare begins his second (and considerably more wholesome) job playing clarinet in a polka band, he meets a young man who takes his grandmother out dancing. But Dare knows the man has his own secret.

Jonah Day immediately recognizes the clarinetist. Three years earlier they crossed paths in a therapist's office, but they both abandoned that route to mental health. Neither was ready then to open up about the psychological traumas that haunted them.

In an attempt to heal their wounds, Dare and Jonah turn to each other. Understanding and empathy come instantly, accompanied by ambivalence about their growing attraction. But the repercussions of victimization are many. Soon, the very experiences Dare and Jonah share threaten to drive them apart

Eighteen-year-old Jess Bonner is casting off pretense—and, with it, some friends from his past who aren’t particularly trustworthy. In just a few months he’ll be starting college, and it’s time for him to admit the truth: he’s gay, not bi, and only one of his childhood buddies holds any kind of real interest for him. When Dylan Finch, aka Mig, follows his lead and puts some distance between himself and the old crowd, he and Jess give in to a mutual attraction that’s been building for years.

But navigating a fledgling relationship isn’t easy for beginners, and forces they can’t seem to control keep tripping them up: sexual appetite, personal insecurities, fear of discovery, and more. They need clarity. They need courage. Just as they’re on the verge of finding both, a vindictive act of jealousy sends one of them to jail. All their hard-won victories are in danger of falling to dust. The only way to save what they have is to recognize it for what it is . . . and fight for its integrity.

I could go on and on... Please go to her Goodreads page and look at the amazing list: KZ Snow's Books 

Or her website, where you can also see what's coming up kzsnow.com

Interview time... Always a treat because it's a rare look inside the author's head. K. Z. was a terrific sport and I learned quite a lot about her.

***INTERVIEW***

I Is there a certain type of scene that's harder for you to write than others?

Probably the ones I worry might put off certain readers, like the religious discussions in A Hole in God’s Pocket. Or the ones that could serve as triggers, like the memories and aftereffects of sexual abuse in Xylophone. I’m also mindful of scenes involving minorities or women. It’s a delicate balancing act, striving for realism while trying not to offend people’s sensibilities.        

2You are a very deep writer, at least I think you are anyway. How do you tackle the hard topics and do it so eloquently?

Gosh, thank you. I’ve always preferred books that have some “meat” to them (not that kind, lol, although I sure don’t mind it!) So even when I’m writing fantasy, paranormal, or steampunk fiction, I can’t seem to avoid social and psychological issues. They’ve always engaged me. That’s why in the Mongrel trilogy, for example, I found myself with a hero suffering from bipolar disease, a city choking on pollution, and a populace plagued by poverty, persecution of minority groups, greed, political corruption, a broken justice system, and men of science who come perilously close to altering civilization for the worse. But, of course, love overcomes the worst of it.   

 

I If you could cast your characters (choose one of your books) in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?

I honestly don’t have a clue. I’m not all that familiar with the current crop of celebrities, especially the younger ones. Besides, my characters are such unique individuals in my mind, it’s hard for me to match them up with RL people!

4 How has reading changed for you since becoming a writer?

Great question. I believe I’ve become a more critical reader. I edit as I go along. I can’t help wanting characters to do this instead of that, or the plot to take a particular turn. So I’m thrilled when I come across books that draw me in so deeply, and/or are so beautifully written, my inner editor is thoroughly muffled. Immersive reading is the best kind.     

5 What was one of the most surprising things you've discovered about yourself while creating your books?

How much I want readers to care. As a plot progresses and I get more and more intimate with / invested in the characters, they really start to matter to me. I’d like them to matter to readers, too. Characters are the reservoirs and conveyors of each story’s meaning.     

6 Growing up, what was your favorite childhood book?

Wow, there were so many! Spooky stories, for one thing. I’ve always loved them! And I was captivated by Homer’s Odyssey and Greek mythology. I also loved metric, rhymed poetry, because the sounds of the words and rhythm of the lines were as beautiful as music to me. I memorized and recited poetry to myself all the time. (What a geek!)

7 Are there misconceptions that people have about your book(s)? Can you explain?

Hm. I’m not sure, since I avoid all reviews except the ones I’m directed to. Maybe readers assume they’re too “heavy,” don’t have enough humor or warm fuzzies or sex. Maybe they think any book categorized as a novella can’t be a satisfying read. *shrugs* I don’t know, although I believe I’m correct about the novella misconception.    

8 Can you tell us about any future projects you're working on?

I’ve got about a half dozen different ideas kicking around, none of which I seem to be able to settle on. But I do have a YA story, Ben Raphael’s All-Star Virgins, coming out on September 25 from Harmony Ink Press, an imprint of Dreamspinner.

9 What inspires you?

Reading either really good books or really bad books.  Otherwise, my inspiration is what I mentioned above: the human psyche itself -- why people think and behave the way they do, how certain experiences affect them and their interaction with others. I’m endlessly moved and fascinated by other people’s lives.

1 How can your fans follow you in social media/websites?

I don’t think of myself as having “fans” (I’m not nearly well-known or popular enough!) but here ya go:

Website (where readers can find all the books I have available) – http://www.kzsnow.com

Blog (for news, updates, and opinions) – http://kzsnow.blogspot.com

Facebook (where I go to have fun) -- https://www.facebook.com/KZSnow

Twitter -- https://twitter.com/k_z_snow

And now it's giveaway time!

Simply enter below. Contest will end September 12th at midnight EST. I will contact the winner via email. I'll ask you, what book you want, format and email to deliver it to and K.Z. will get it to you.
Goodluck!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway